Buffalo Bills confirm death of Ed Oliver’s two-year-old son

The Buffalo Bills have confirmed the death of defensive tackle Ed Oliver's two-year-old son, who reportedly drowned in a swimming pool at the family's Texas home earlier this summer.

“On behalf of the entire Buffalo Bills organization, we want to publicly express our condolences to Ed Oliver and his family on the devastating loss of his son,” the NFL team’s general manager, Brandon Beane, said Saturday in a statement posted online. “It's an unthinkable tragedy for any parent. We will continue to support Ed and his family as we all grieve this tragic loss.”

The boy drowned June 28, according to The Buffalo News, which said grainy video posted online shortly after the incident showed a man who resembled Oliver sitting on a curb while speaking with a sheriff’s deputy.

Oliver, 28, didn’t join the Bills for a trip to Cleveland for a preseason Saturday game against the Browns, Fox News reported, adding that a source said he and his family were asking the public for privacy and prayers.

The Houston Chronicle reported on the fatal incident in Huffman, Texas, at the time, without identifying the victim.

A dispatcher for the Harris County Sheriff's Office was unable to immediately provide The Independent with additional information Saturday.

In a Facebook post about the drowning, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said deputies found the toddler unresponsive in a pool in the 500 block of Lago Trace Drive in Huffman.

The child was rushed to a local hospital and pronounced dead, Gonzalez said, calling it a “tragic incident” and saying an investigation was underway.

Property records show Oliver owns a home on the block, according to The Buffalo News, which said the sheriff’s office has declined to release records related to the case.

The sheriff’s office also recently asked the state attorney general for permission to reject the news outlet’s formal request under the Texas Public Information Act, saying that the case remained open and that releasing the records could jeopardize an ongoing investigation, The Buffalo News said.

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children under five, and the No. 2 cause after vehicle crashes for children ages five to 14 who die of fatal, unintentional injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Oliver, who’s six-feet, one-inch tall and weighs 287 pounds, was the Bills’ first-round draft pick in 2019, and he signed a four-year contract extension worth up to $68 million in 2023, according to ESPN and The Buffalo News.

He was sidelined for all but three games of the 2025 regular season, but bounced back to play in the Bills’ win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC wild card round, according to The Buffalo News.

His hometown of Huffman is a quickly growing unincorporated community about 30 miles northeast of Houston on the eastern shore of Lake Houston, an 11,000-acre reservoir, according to Homes.com.

Many houses sit on more than an acre of land in the wooded area, with many located in a series of subdivisions that feature custom-built, farmhouse-inspired residences, Homes.com says.